FicWad

Hey guys
Okay, just so we know I am not going to update to this website any more if I don't get at least 5 rates and reviews for this chapter. I love writing, and I know that there are people reading this because Ficwad tells me, but you not commenting is pretty slack.
If I dont get some feedback I'll continue to upload where I'm appreciated on other websites.
Other than that, hope you enjoy, because I am pretty proud of this chapter :D

Rabbit hurried along the hallways, followed closely by Frank. He reached forward and grabbed her hand to stop her running away.
"Hey, slow down a sec!"
She shook her head rapidly. "Nu-uh, I'm getting as far away from those freaks as I possibly can!"
He sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to be stopped and kept up with her. They rounded the corner and came face to face with two werewolfs.
"Ugh," Rabbit hissed, taking a step back, "dogs!"
Sasha lifted her lip and snarled slightly, but Ray's hand closed over hers warningly.
"Yeah, like I enjoy seeing your face either." He snapped, but kept his expression neutral for the sake of the humans passing by.
Rabbit went to make a rude remark but Frank cut her off. "Come on, better go before we catch rabies." With that he pushed her through the two supes and into their geometry class.
The two werewolves followed them inside, heading in the opposite direction towards some empty chairs. From there Sasha shot murderous glares at the other supes, however Ray preferred to ignore them. He was planning something and knew that they'd get their revenge on the shifters later.
Frank sighed as he sat down, realizing that it was going to be like this from now on.
Luckily the next class they had was free of any other supes. Rabbit relaxed and was able to pay attention to their chemistry teacher.
Frank looked over at his second in command and sighed. When the teacher wasn't looking he leant over and whispered in her ear "Got yourself under control now?"
Rabbit stared at him sadly. "No offense, but my life is fucked up because of all this. I'm a shifter, one that is scrutinized by her own kind constantly. My parents probably think I'm doing drugs because I'm always so quiet at home, but I'm not allowed to tell them. And yet suicide is selfish because then I'd be leaving them alone. I have to be at your side constantly, so I can't have a boyfriend and my girlfriends are limited to our own species. I'm hating school because the only class I take that I actually like is art. Then when I do leave school I need to follow you to uni, so having a career dream is pointless." she looked away from him but kept talking. "So when we are suddenly shoved into a situation where there are supes snapping at my heels from every angle, please do not be so mean as to look at me like I am insane."
Frank was taken aback by her bluntness. He knew that Rabbit was unhappy with her life, but he didn't realize that it was that bad. The idea of chastising her for being so forward crossed his mind, but then again he had been the one to ask. Rather than answer Frank looked back up at the teacher, for there was no response to her statement.
The bell for the end of class went and the pair made their way out into the hallway once more. They dodged their way through the multitude of students and hurried across the courtyard towards their spot. Oliver and Fox were already waiting.
"You two have any classes with supes?" Frank quizzed them immediately.
Oliver nodded mournfully. "The faeries are in all three of my morning classes, as well as the zombies for third."
"I have Bob and Emily too in first, but then I haven't got any others till third when I have three of those vamps." Fox added, shuddering delicately. "That one Charlie looks at the humans like they're food and that's it."
"Better than their leader." Rabbit muttered. "He's a downright jerk."
Oliver and Fox looked at Frank who shook his head, not wanting to report the incident in history that morning.
"Okay, I'm officially sick of this and it's only lunch!" Jarred cried out, arriving with Dimitri and Scar. They nodded along with him, giving an account of their experiences.
Frank sighed as his group all complained to one another about how unfair it was that the vampires just came in an pushed them around. He too wished that the supes would leave them alone, but he wasn't prepared to let the others know how much it was all getting to him.


"Charlie, I swear if your fangs lower one millimeter more I will get Johnny to yank them out with a pair of old pliers." Gerard murmured, slipping onto a chair in the shaded section of the courtyard. His progeny flinched, incisors rapidly shortening to their human length.
"How now brother and friends?" Mikey purred, arriving with Robert in tow. They both perched on the table, smiling happily.
Gerard looked up at his younger sibling and smirked. "You look awfully pleased with yourself. Do tell."
Mikey grinned. "There's a very lovely girl in my class, I could practically taste her as I walked into the room. Her name is Alicia, beautiful is it not?"
Robert nodded. "She is very pretty. Her and her friend Alison are in the majority of our classes. I almost had to restrain you're brother from nibbling on her there and then." he directed at Gerard.
The dark haired vampire paused and scrutinized the younger Way carefully. "You know Mikey that we are trying not to eat the humans at the school. One here, maybe a few there, but that's it." he patted his sibling's knee sympathetically. "And from the sound of it you like this girl, so I advise you try not to make her a meal. Some self restraint would do you good... In fact it would do us all some good. We've become far too soft living in England."
Mikey sighed and nodded. "Yes, you're right."
"Hmm..." Ruby pondered. "What about that shifter girl, Rabbit? You seem interested in her, Gerard."
Their maker shook his head. "No, the only fun thing about winding her up is Frank's reaction. I enjoy watching Iero's boy squirm. Besides," he sniffed, "she's too plain to enjoy eating."


Fox broke the tense silence among the group. "I hear that the wolves will be in the park tonight."
Jarred snapped his head up. "Wait... But isn't that our territory?"
Lola nodded. "Yeah, obviously they think that just 'cos they're getting away with it on our school grounds they can go where they like."
"Fuckers." Dimitri mumbled, twirling a leaf in his fingers.
Frank sighed. "We'll have to check it out then. As soon as class is over we'll head in that direction and stake out the area. Dimitri and Scar will edge the lake, Oliver and Lola hide out near the old carousel, then Fox, Jarred and I will handle the main green."
Rabbit looked at her leader questioningly, but the bell went. They hurried towards their next class, Oliver tagging along since he also took advanced English.
"What about me?" she whispered in Frank's ear, trying to avoid Oliver listening in.
He turned to his companion and shrugged. "What about you?"
She chewed on her lip unhappily. "Where do I fit in tonight?"
Frank rolled his eyes. "Where you always do, covering me. I thought that was pretty obvious."
Rabbit pouted. "I can fight too you know, I can defend you as well as help with the werewolves."
Her leader shook his head. "No, you can't. Just do as your told. If we need reinforcements I'll get you to run a message to my parents."
She slowed to a stop, quickly left behind by Frank and Oliver. There was a lump in her throat that wanted to spew out her mouth, but she struggled to contain it. 'He doesn't think I'm good enough.' she thought, dismayed. 'They don't need me...'
"Your making an obstacle of yourself." an amused voice whispered in her ear. Cold breath caressed her cheek and the now-familiar stench of sweetness assaulted her nose.
"Fuck off leach." she hissed, without facing him.
Gerard laughed, shadowing her as they made their way to English. "Quite the emotional one, aren't we? Last time I saw you, you were about to burst into tears. However now you have a red hot temper."
Rabbit walked faster, wishing that the vampire would leave her alone. "Well, from what I know of your kind, you have no emotions. Your diet disgusts me and the fact that you enjoy tormenting people, especially me, is really pissing me off."
He had to bit his lip to stop himself laughing harder.
They walked into the English room, Rabbit with a face of fury and Gerard with an expression of subdued amusement.
Frank saw the look on her face and immediately sat himself between her and the vampire. "What happened?" he whispered.
Oliver watched Frank questioning Rabbit, but decided to stay out of it. The complicated relationship between their leader and his second in command was too hard to follow.
Rabbit shot Frank a reproachful glare. "I can handle it, I'm not completely useless."
The shifter leader opened his mouth to say something, but didn't know what. Her words puzzled him, but before he could question Rabbit about it the teacher started the lesson. Luckily the vampire was alone and was sitting on the other side of the room, so the lesson passed uneventfully.
Gerard listened to the teacher, but didn't learn anything new. The class was actually quiet boring compared to the others and he was beginning to regret not sitting closer to Frank. The shifter boy seemed pretty easy to piss off, especially if he was taunting his friend, Rabbit.
The shrill sound of the bell went and the vampire rose gracefully from his seat. His next class was art, another subject he shared with the shifters. Gerard watched them leave the classroom first and followed from a distance, wanting to reach the art block after the supes.
Rabbit avoided Frank's eyes as they made their way to their next class. She knew that he was trying to get her attention, but after what he had said in English class she didn't want to make any kind of conversation with him.
Frank didn't know what was up with Rabbit. Since the end of lunch she had shrunk back in on herself, looking away from him on purpose to avoid conversation. Usually she was trying to make small talk with him, and now it was the other way around.
"Supposed to snow tonight." Frank offered.
Rabbit nodded once, sharply, before turning her full attention to a leaf on the path.
"News says we could be in for a snow day tomorrow, isn't that cool?"
Once again he received a limited response.
They entered the art room and sat in their respective seats towards the back of the class. Rabbit visibly relaxed, calmer now that she was in her element. Frank wanted to say something more, but her twisted curls hid her face, thick fringe masking her eyes. She pulled out a sketch pad and immediately started the beginnings of an artwork.
The door opened and the cold air outside sent goosebumps across human skin. However when it shut the shifters noticed that the icy temperature didn't drop.
"Not again." Frank growled under his breath.
Rabbit didn't say anything. The only sign that she had noted the presence of the vampire was a slight stiffening of her shoulders. Her quickly moving hand paused over the paper, pencil poised.
Gerard saw his adversaries and made a beeline for the unoccupied seat next to the girl.
"Hello again." he whispered, alighting himself beside her.
Rabbit didn't make any sign of recognition, but continued to draw. She focused all her concentration on the piece before her, rounding off the edges of the shapes as precisely as her teenage hands could.
The teacher meandered over, welcoming the new student.
"Wonderful to have you with us, Gerard. May I see some of your work?"
The vampire smiled as he passed over his folder. "Of course. It has lead drawings mainly from the British syllabus."
The teacher tried not to gape as he flicked through the diary. Every image was rendered perfectly, capturing the subject with incredible detail and precision. There wasn't a single piece that was poorly composed, it was as close to perfect that he had ever seen.
"Wow... Um I think that you'll fit in here just fine. Your work is... Superb, Mr Way."
Gerard smirked. perfectly aware of the effect his art had on people. After centuries of honing his skill he had become an accomplished draftsman. Now it was about swinging his skill towards the cartoon style, something that had only been developed within the past few decades.
"So what are we doing this term?" he asked the teacher politely.
The man smiled, not sure why his new student made him so nervous. "We tend to let you choose your own path. Start with some sketches of what inspires you, then just let the piece grow... I doubt you'll find anything difficult about the process."
Gerard nodded and the teacher left. He flicked open to a blank page, not before noticing that Rabbit had halted in her work and was observing him from the corner of her eye. When he looked directly at her she busied herself with her art, feigning ignorance.
The vampire watched her draw without letting her catch on to his scrutiny. The paper before her was showing the faintest beginnings of quite a nice artwork. She was sketching a simple image of a horse, lightly outlining sections for different colour strengths. Her process was unconventional, however interesting. Sure, the picture wasn't perfect in it's depiction of the animal, but there was something artfully honest about it. The creature seemed to convey a personality, rather than falling flat on the page.
"You draw well." he murmured, then realized what he had said.
Rabbit looked at him, shocked, before covering her book with her arm. "What?"
Gerard quickly converted his slip up into an insult. "You draw well, for an animal." Although the tone was perfectly executed, he knew that the sneer on his face was lacking conviction.
The shifter shrank back from him slightly, eyes shining with hurt. Her sunken cheeks coloured in embarrassment, and for a moment Gerard wondered what it would be like to lick the skin, just barely holding in the two pools of blood. Although this was so tempting, his eyes held hers. Rabbit's were alarmingly large; a natural brown framed by erratically placed lashes, which pointed in every which way. They took up the most of her face, which was otherwise angular and childish. It was framed by volumes of brown hair that seemed to loop in on itself in inconsistent curls. Her manually straightened fringe brushed the tips of her eyelashes, contrasting to the rest of the chaos on her head. Two longer pieces of hair fell from either side of her face down, almost to her waist. It wasn't perfect by any means. There wasn't much womanly or feminine about her. Her cheekbones jutted over deep hollows on the sides of her face. Her nose was straight, but lacked the grace of beautiful girls. The vivid red she had painted over her lips would have been affective if her mouth wasn't situated so low. She wore the expression of permanent dissatisfaction.
Rabbit stared deeply back at Gerard. His hazel eyes shifted between green and brown in the flickering, fluorescent light. She had a sudden urge to push back the black locks that fell over his face. It hugged the sides of his neck, however the top was layered with some shorter pieces, that added to the whole 'messy' look. His pointed face curved just enough to reflect the child he once was, but beneath that was the structure of a man. His eyebrows arched elegantly over his face, contrasting against his deathly white pallor. The thick eyelashes cast purpled shadows beneath his eyes, adding to the whole 'living dead' effect. She hated the arrogant smile playing across his sculpted lips, wishing that she could pull it back to neutral. He was too perfect, almost disgustingly so.
Their intense gaze was broken by the teacher's voice. They looked away quickly from one another, somewhat frustrated. Rabbit wanted to see if she could perceive any humanity in the vampires face, whereas Gerard wanted to be able to read her thoughts. He was interested in the relationship she shared with Iero, and wondered what one of them would do without the other.
Frank glanced at Rabbit anxiously. He had seen her lock gazes with the vampire boy, but didn't know how to react. Not to mention she wasn't exactly talking to him, so getting mad at her for that was only going to push her further away. He ran a hand through his long fringe, ruffling it up with frustration. Today had been harder on him than any other school day, and if Fox was correct then this afternoon was only going to get worse.
Oliver nudged him gently. "Rabbit okay?" he whispered.
Frank shrugged. "Who knows?"
The rest of the lesson passed quietly. Each of the four supes at the back of the class focused their attention on their work, and ignored those around them. When the bell went, Frank was surprised to see Gerard pass out before them with no taunting comment to exit on.
The vampire glided out onto the main green and stared at the cloud covered sky. It was darkening quickly with an oncoming storm, but that didn't deter him. He wanted to get away for a bit. Staring into the eyes of the shifter had made him feel too.... Dead. Gerard wanted a moment of solitude, something he didn't get around his 'children.'
"Hey Gee, how was art?" Mikey asked, slipping a thin arm around his sibling's waist.
The older brother smiled. "Good. The werewolves are supposed to take that class, but they weren't there."
"The rumors must be true then, I wonder what Iero will do. If he lets it go Ray could take advantage of the situation, but if they do defend their territory they could loose a shifter. The werewolves are gaining numbers."
Gerard nodded absently. Seeing the rest of their coven coming across the green he turned to his brother and smiled widely. "I need to go and work on something. Don't wait up for me."
Mikey's eyes widened. "But-"
"I'll see you later on." Gerard interrupted, then walked away briskly.
Ruby stopped next to Mikey. "Where's he going?"
The younger Way shrugged. "I have no clue."
Charlie smirked. "Maybe is going to find a meal."
Robert rolled his eyes. "Not everything is about blood Charlie. Keep your mouth shut for once."
"But where else would he be going, if not to feed?" Ruby mumbled.
They all watched the retreating figure of their maker, perplexed by his strange behavior.

"Okay," Frank began, shivering slightly in the cold air, "Scar, you keep to the western edge of the lake, and Dimitri you're patrolling the south. But keep each other in your sights. If trouble does break out you're going to need to be within reach of your partner." He turned to Oliver. "You and Lola check out the carousel area. At the first sign of enemy movement you bolt, okay? Fighting among the buildings over there is at our disadvantage. Make your way back to Fox, Jarred and I on the green. Rabbit will be at my side as well, ready to sound an alarm if need be." He paused for a second before looking at Fox. "Make sure Jarred isn't exposed to the werewolves. If you have to fight, you fight back to back."
Fox nodded, ruffling the younger boy's hair playfully. It was no secret that she had a soft spot for Jarred. The youth was often put under her charge in dangerous situations.
Rabbit hung back from the group, watching them discuss tactics with little enthusiasm. If all she was going to do was run a message then there was no point in getting involved. Once again she felt completely useless - a social outcast among her own people.
The group split up, each going to their respective places. Rabbit tagged after Frank. Him and Fox were having an intense conversation about the pros and cons of fighting werewolves.
"They can only transform into one shape, so we have the advantage there." Fox argued.
Frank shook his head. "Yeah but because they're always shifting into that form they're better at it than we are. Ray and Harry can make the change in 2 seconds flat, and Sasha and Hugh are pretty quick as well. We, on the other hand need to work harder."
"That's true, but-"
Right at that moment a savage ball of furred muscle and teeth launched itself from the nearby bushed, latching onto Jarred's arm. Frank and Fox froze with surprise, but Rabbit leapt forward and straddled the massive creature over it's neck. She leant down and grabbed the devastating jaws, wrenching them off the screaming boy's limb. Blood laced spit splattered across Jarred's chest, spraying across Rabbit's face in succession. She gagged, but held onto the horse-sized wolf, digging her fingers into it's thick pelt.
"Rabbit!" Frank screamed, pushing Fox who was holding onto Jarred back, "Jump off! Now!"
The werewolf writhed beneath her, canines snapping inches from her unprotected arms. It let out a rough howl, which was answered by a chorus of animalistic yips and barks. Frank turned his attention away from his companion to see the rest of Ray's pack sprinting towards them. Fox turned to her leader, panic in her eyes. Jarred's head lolled across her arm, face ashen with blood loss.
"Go." Frank growled at her, "Get him out of here, we'll meet up with you soon." Then his body rippled with the oncoming change, skin stretching as his bones forced themselves into the shape of a lion. The familiar black strip of his fringe edged the large, orange mane, and the tattoo's gracing his human skin was slightly visible beneath his soft fur. Fox took one last look at her leader before dashing away down the pathway in the direction of the Iero's house.
Frank was now joined by a sinuous panther and a large eagle; Oliver and Lola. Behind the werewolves drawing ever closer they could see the shapes of Scar and Dimitri. There were four wolves, eyes lit with a feral fury, saliva dripping jaws snapping with bloodlust. The shifter leader nodded to his friends, before bounding forward to meet their adversaries. In the back of his mind, he only faintly registered the sudden absence of Rabbit and the first wolf.


The two supes in question were far away from the rest of their packs. Sasha bolted through the trees, twisting beneath the shifter girl clinging to her back. The plan was working perfectly, more than perfectly. She couldn't have asked for a better outcome than to have Iero's second in command getting further and further away from her people. A low growl issued from a copse of trees and she swiveled sideways, leaping into the vegetation towards her alpha.
Rabbit didn't want to let go of the giant animal, too scared that it would devour her as soon as she hit the ground. However she could no longer hear the wild snarls of the fight. Frank and the others were out of hearing range, and they weren't even bothering to follow. She was about to make the decision to let go when a new set of teeth latched onto her shirt and dragged her from the werewolf's back.
She looked up and saw that the creature had lead her purposefully here. The large canine currently swinging her above the ground was undeniably Ray Toro. He was larger than the rest, a massive lump of bone, muscle and wild fur. Rabbit let out a shrill cry and beat her fists against his snout. She was almost relieved to feel her body react and start to transform.
Ray let out a sharp bark, dropping the shifter onto the frozen ground. She hit it hard, groaning and curling into a protective ball. The shift was halted and she shrank back into her human form. Suddenly human hands were wrenching her arms away from her body. The familiar face of Sasha Walker crossed her vision and Rabbit struggled to get away from the girl.
Rabbit barely made it two steps when the giant werewolf grabbed her by her shoulders with his powerful mouth, holding her in place. A feral snarl erupted from the back of his throat and Sasha snapped back at him angrily; "Yeah I know, I'm getting there!"
Between her furious struggles Rabbit saw the leather gloves protecting Sasha's hands. Her eyes also made out the glint of something metal in her hands and she screamed out, terrified by what it meant.
"No! That's against the rules!" she shrieked, trying to lever Ray's jaws off her body. "Don't do it, please!"
Sasha ignored the shifter, deftly grabbing hold of Rabbit's left arm and clamping a silver bracelet over her wrist. A flash of sunlight burst from the object and the werewolf girl grinned. "The charm worked, let's get her home Ray!"
Rabbit howled as the magical metal burnt into her skin. She clawed at it, trying to find the catch, but there was none. The patterns engraved into the smooth surface were undeniably faery, an ancient language binding it to her arm. She knew that she wouldn't be able to shift now - it was impossible when any of the hated metal was in contact with her skin. Silver was the Achilles heel of all supes, so there was an unspoken code that it was never to be used against one another. However from the looks of things the werewolves didn't give a shit about fair play.
From what she could gather Ray was planning on taking her back to their hideout, for God knows what reason. Rabbit screamed as loud as she could, hoping that somehow Frank would hear her, but deep down she knew that she was on her own this time.
"Shut up shifter!" Sasha spat, clamping her hands over her ears.
Rabbit spat at the girl then proceeded to scream louder.
Ray rolled his wolf eyes and sunk his teeth deeper in their captive's shoulder. Rabbit's eyes widened as a dribble of blood slid down her back. 'Screw that!' her thoughts shouted, 'I'm not putting up with this.'
"If you stop wriggling this would be a lot easier." Sasha hissed, taking a step closer. "No one can hear you, so you might as well put a sock in it!"
"You know what?" Rabbit hissed, suddenly still. When the werewolf girl took one step closer she lashed out with her imprisoned arm, slamming Sasha on the cheek with the silver band. "Fuck you!"
Ray saw his pack member hit the ground, clutching her face in agony. Without thinking twice he dropped the shifter and leapt to Sasha's side.
Rabbit barely touched the ground as she bounded deeper into the trees. Her body buzzed, trying to morph against the silver. Her breath was catching in sobs, not as much from the shock as the pain of her wrist. It was like someone had poured acid over her whole arm, the silver shot red hot pain through the whole limb mercilessly. Rabbit fell against a tree, panting. She closed her eyes and concentrated on willing the sensation away.
"It's just silver." she whispered to herself. "It's not actually hurting me, it just feels like that."
The red welts bubbling across her skin begged to differ, but by telling herself that it didn't hurt she was finding the strength to keep running. An eerie howl split through the silent evening air and Rabbit trembled. She looked up at the darkening sky, slightly worried by the angry clouds that loomed overhead. This park was massive, and getting lost in it overnight could be fatal. However the snarls of a werewolf drawing closer seemed far more life-threatening at the present time.
"Come on Rabbit," she whimpered, wiping the freezing tears on her cheeks, "you've gotta keep going."
Somehow her shaking knees found the strength to stumble forward. The woods were so dark that she could barely see two meters in front of her. Her only choice was to head in one direction and stick to it. The baying of the werewolf behind her made her feet move faster. Her head began to spin and she imagined seeing her friend's faces looming in the darkness. One moment she was reaching out to Frank, the next her hands were pushing vainly through thickets of pine needles.
"Fuck!" she cried, pushing forward faster.
The howl's were getting closer, echoing through the trees like some crazy horror movie.
Rabbit bounded through the trees, trying to find any movement, any sign of life. As she pushed through the vegetation she called out frantically. "Can anyone hear me!?"
She knew that calling out was likely to lead the danger to her, but at that point the most important thing seemed to finding help.
The sharp snap of a branch nearby made her duck down, pressing herself back gently behind the foliage. A heavy breath issued from the darkness, combined with the dense scent of dog. Rabbit held her mouth to her hand. If she could smell it, there was no doubt that it could smell her.
'Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck...' her thoughts shouted. 'I'm so fucking screwed right now!'
The heat the animal radiated warmed her frozen skin and the branches between Rabbit and her hunter twitched. She tried not to scream, thinking about how cowardly it would be to die projecting her fear. The silver bangle clasped to her arm burned her skin and she tugged at it desperately, wishing for the hundredth time that it would come free.
'I need to shift, I'm dead if I can't shift!'
Her fingertips singed against the smooth surface, useless against the strength of the metal.
A low growl issued from in front of her and wet breath poured through between the leaves. Rabbit could see the glint of canine teeth in the moonlight and she thought how ironic it was that she was literally staring into the jaws of death.
'Frank,' she thought frantically, 'I've failed you. I'm so sorry!'
Then there was a high pitched yelp, and just like that the werewolf was gone.
Rabbit stayed where she was, eyes searching the darkness for any sign that her adversary was still there. However it was silent. The normal nighttime music of crickets was absent, but the heavy footfall of giant wolves was missing also. The only sound was her own breathing, straining against her chest in panic.
After five minutes with no evidence of danger, Rabbit poked her head out from behind the bush. She cautiously slipped from her hiding place and flitted out to the comforting solidness of a tree. Far away across the park a wolf howled and there was an unfamiliar shout. Her human ears twitched with a higher sense, struggling to make out a recognizable voice. However a light wind whispered, carrying with it the faintest traces of snow which muffled the noise.
The shifter nibbled her lip and rubbed her cold nose unhappily. She didn't know what to do or where to go. Frank had been lost in the fray and without her protection he could be in any sort of shape. Rabbit took in a deep breath to try and unclench her fear, then counted to ten. With each number she took another step through the pitch black copse of trees.
"One... Two..." her hands reached out before her hesitantly, locating obstructions. "Five... Six..." she slipped over a log and passed beneath a low lying branch. "Eight... Nine..."
"Ten." a dark voice finished for her.
Rabbit shrieked and bounded away from the voice, scrambling through the vegetation wildly. She ignored the branches that reached out and latched onto her clothes and skin. Her hair tangled in pine needles and her fingers scraped against bark, but she didn't hesitate.
"Where are you going, Rabbit?" the voice chuckled.
She skidded to a stop, freezing, damp earth flicking into her boots. The stalker was in front of her now, so she spun around and dashed in another direction. The whip of an unexpected branch left her face stinging and she could feel warm wet cooling on her cheeks. The ripped skin on her shoulder was tugging with every step, and her cooling, blood soaked shirt clung to her back. There was a sigh from somewhere nearby.
"You do run an awful lot, don't you Rabbit?"
She let out a frustrated scream and lashed out in the direction of the honey-smooth voice, then pivoted on her toes and hastened away again.
The voice trailed after her, hunger in it's tone. "I can smell you, I can taste the blood in the air... Rabbit you are divine."
Cruel words taunted her and drove her burning limbs faster. By this point her breaths were coming short and her jacket-less body was trembling from the cold. Snow flakes drifted between branches, alighting on her exposed skin. She swatted angrily at them as she ran, trying to dislodge the frozen flakes from her eyelashes. Because of this she didn't see the dark figure step out in front of her until she literally ran into it.
Rabbit screamed as hands encircled her body and she beat her fists against the muscled chest.
"No!" she shouted, "I wont die like this!"
A low chuckle replied and he hugged her closer. "I'm not going to kill you, Rabbit." an amused voice assured her.
Her eyes widened and in the dark she could make out the familiar features of Frank.
"Oh thank god!" she cried, pulling him closer. "I thought I lost you, I didn't know where you went!" Rabbit buried her face against his neck, soaking up his warmth and comfortingly familiar scent.
"Yeah, sorry about... Hey you're shoulder bleeding!" he exclaimed, spinning her around to inspect the wound.
Rabbit shrugged, sniffing back more tears. "S'ok, stings a bit but I should be fine."
Frank turned her around again and hugged her closer. "I'm sorry, I should have looked for you sooner... I just wasn't thinking properly." He could feel her shaking hard in his arms. "Hey now, why are you trembling?" he asked, patting her matted hair gently. "This is no different from the usual supe confrontation. What's made you so upset?"
Rabbit could feel salty tears stinging her lacerated cheek. Rather than explain she leant back and showed him her imprisoned wrist.
Frank's eyes widened. "How did that happen?"
She sniffed unhappily and tugged at the tight band to no avail. "The werewolf Sasha got it on me. She was wearing gloves and clamped it on with the help of Ray."
Her leader snarled angrily and grabbed at the insulting piece of metal. "That's playing dirty!" he barked, trying to find the clasp. "Those fuckers are going to pay. No wonder you were so scared, not being able to shift is fatal!"
Rabbit nodded and tugged her hand away before his fingers could burn. Her wrist beneath the item was charred heavily and she could feel the silver making it's mark on her skin.
"Don't worry," he said, pulling her through the grove until they reached the clearing, "we're gonna get this evil thing off you as soon as we can."
She nodded and wiped the tears from her face. In the eerie light of a park lamp she would see her fingertips come away dripping red.
Frank saw her lacerated cheek and sighed unhappily. "This should never have happened. Fox and I were so bent on driving the wolves out from the trees... Well I guess we..."
"Forgot about me." Rabbit finished for him.
There was an awkward paused, slightly subdued by the arm that he slid around her waist.
"But I did come back for you, doesn't that count for anything?"
She nodded, too tired to argue the point. The fact that her safety had completely skipped his mind only confirmed her doubts that she wasn't needed. As they walked out onto the street and headed in the direction of home, Rabbit began to think about the voice in the trees. She had almost forgotten about it once Frank had arrived. It didn't make any sense; werewolves couldn't talk when they were in their animal form, but the hunter was obviously supernatural. How else could they have gotten in front of her so fast?


Gerard Way glided through the park, avoiding the lights and hanging close to the shadowy trees. Somewhere on the other side he could hear a scuffle occurring between two supe species. From the pungent scent lacing the air he was certain that one of the parties were werewolf.
However the vampire had no incentive to join the fray. He was rather preoccupied with the calm stillness of the woods. Although the fauna inhabiting the vegetation around him instinctively drew away as he passed through, the warm thudding of their wild hearts pattered in the night. Every now and then he would catch a glimpse of fur streaking through the leaves, or a strong scent of hot, feral blood.
It was soothing in a way, isolating himself from the fast pace of humans. They did everything at such breakneck speeds, savoring every second of their limited lives. It grew wearisome watching them, as he would outlive them all, eternally existing for no real reason. However because of his internal earthy life he had to plan ahead. His children had long memories, and everything that he did counted. Gerard had to watch every word, execute every sentence convincing them that he was the cold blooded killer the world had labelled him as. To some extent the ancient boy knew that he was just that, a ruthless murderer. And yet, there was a part of him that clung to human emotions, sentimental feelings that shouldn't belong in his body. It was at times like this, when he had escaped the critic view of his people, that he could relax into the company of himself. Nature didn't seem to judge him, it existed regardless of his actions. Being closer to it made him feel alive again, truly alive. And although these moments were fleeting, they were cherished beyond any materialistic desire.
Suddenly Gerard became aware of the presence of another supe. It was a werewolf, scouring the thickly wooded area for prey. He observed it from a distance, slightly annoyed by it's endeavor.
'Why should they hunt small animals when they go home to a dignified diet?' he wondered.
The creature had seemingly found something, and it zeroed in on one thicket in particular. It's monstrous paws clawed through the foliage, snout pushing through the foliage in pursuit. Gerard shuddered at the sight, wondering what vulnerable animal it had found. He could almost hear the lighter pattering of it's terrified heart above the wet thud of the wolf's.
In a split second Gerard decided that he didn't want to stand by and watch a bloodthirsty supe devour the already short life of an innocent creature. He sprang forward and grasped the heavy hunter by the scruff of it's neck, tearing it back from the bushes. The vampire flung the werewolf against a tree, earning a sharp yelp. The dog-shaped-human scrambled up from the ground, cast a hateful glance at it's attacker and bolted away through the trees.
Gerard smirked and then faded back into the shadows, eying the thicket intently. He wanted to know what it was he had saved, but searching it's hiding place seemed wrong. Rather, the patient vampire was content to observe from a distance and let the creature come out in it's own time.
Five minutes past and the branches began to twitch. He became excited, anticipating the discovery of what it was.
'A deer would be too big, but a hare wouldn't make so much noise. Perhaps it's a.... Shifter!" his thoughts shouted the last word. Gerard was extremely surprised to see none other than Frank Iero's little bodyguard, Rabbit, poke her head out from the leaves. Her wide eyes darted left and right, trying to find her departed hunter. Upon deciding that the coast was clear, she pushed out of the bush and darted to the side of a tree.
Gerard's moment of leniency was gone, replaced by his vampire nature. The scent of blood in the air flicked some switch inside him. This was a perfect moment for the kill, too convenient to pass up. Sure, she wasn't overly pretty, and he had told the others he wasn't interested in the shifter, but his hunger was burning. Suddenly the pulse jumping at her neck, beneath the silky smooth layer of skin was far more attractive that it had been in class. His fangs grew in his mouth, anticipating the kill.
Rabbit began to move through the trees. It took her some time to negotiate the logs and branches, but the sound of her own voice counting seemed to calm her. He chuckled silently as she stumbled on, oblivious of her stalker.
"Eight... Nine..."
At this point Gerard decided to but in. "Ten."
The girl shrieked, leaping away from his voice and scampering away from him blindly.
'How stupid.' he thought, following her effortlessly. 'She's going to sprain an ankle any second. Then if I were a werewolf she'd have no hope... Not that she has any now.' a grin played around the corners of his mouth. He climbed swiftly up a tree and began to flit from one to another, shadowing the shifter. At one point he overtook her and called out "Where are you going, Rabbit?"
This made the shifter change direction, still running at an ankle breaking speed. He grinned, realizing that a game had begun. The treetops suddenly seemed like cheating and the vampire jumped back onto the ground and swooped after the girl.
Gerard moaned as the smell of blood intensified in the air. The supe must have cut herself running blindly through the trees. He could almost picture it bubbling up from beneath her skin. Sure she wasn't his type, but blood was blood, and this was turning out to be fun.
"I can smell you, I can taste the blood in the air... Rabbit you are divine." he chose the words carefully, trying to extract maximum fear from his prey before the slaughter.
The vampire dashed through the grove until he was in front of his prey again.
"You do run an awful lot, don't you Rabbit?" he teased, watching her from the shadows. Rabbit skidded to a stop and lashed out in his direction without thinking. When that didn't work she jumped back and began to flee in a different direction.
Gerard chuckled at the naivety of the shifter. It was obvious she didn't know what she was up against.
'But why doesn't she shift?' he thought, pursuing her again. 'Surely she'd have escaped that werewolf as a bird, and what's stopping her now?'
Suddenly fate threw in a new player. He slowed to a stop and watched as Rabbit ran into a stranger. She struggled against the figure for a moment, before realizing that it was her ally; Frank Iero. As they embraced Gerard rolled his eyes. Typical for him to toy with his food for too long. He should have latched on to her the moment he had the chance. If he attacked now he's have to kill them both and risk the political backlash. The shifters may not take it very well.
So the vampire opted to observe his escaped meal and her saviour. They were talking one moment, then the next Rabbit was showing him her wrist. Gerard's sharp eyes caught the glint of silver and he suddenly felt sick.
'I was going to kill her, a vulnerable girl!' he cried internally. The elderly vampire had made the decision long ago that supes were fair game, whereas targeting one so handicapped was downright cruel. If she was able to use her powers, but too stupid to escape him, then he was doing her species a favour by cutting out a weak link. But what he had nearly done was rashly take the life of an unfairly disabled mortal.
Gerard ran his long fingers through his hair, dislodging the snow that had settled there. The fact that he had come so close to breaking his one rule cut him deeply.
The unethical actions of the werewolves were not appreciated by Frank either. The shifter leader looked positively livid as he inspected Rabbit's encased wrist. Even from where he was standing, Gerard could see the flesh rubbed raw against the hazardous metal, burning constantly at it's touch.
The Iero boy held his companion close and lead her out of the grove, away from the vampire he didn't even know was watching. Gerard watched them pass through the park quickly, heading in the direction of their home no doubt. He, on the other hand, remained where he was. The delicate chips of ice began to fall heavier, coating his blackness in a film of white. And still he didn't move, to absorbed in his thoughts to return home until well into the early hours of the morning.

Rabbit stumbled along the road until Frank tugged her over to a chair, pulling out his mobile in the process. After fifteen minutes of shivering in the snow shower a car pulled up. The pair of teenagers piled into the backseat, relishing the simple warmth.
However Rabbit wasn't so happy to see the angry face of Mr Iero turn around from the front seat and demand to know what had happened. Frank immediately launched into a detailed description of that night's events until they pulled up outside their large house. Before they could leave the car, the younger Iero grasped her wrist and displayed it for his father to see. Rabbit didn't think she had ever seen the man go so pale, chalky white with shock.
For the first time ever, Frank Iero senior felt some sympathy for his son's second in command. "Rabbit, I'm so sorry." he mumbled. "This should never have happened... It wont ever happen again. We will call a council with all the supes immediately."
She nodded gratefully, slipping out of the car and scampering after the boy towards the front door. They pushed inside and stamped their feet against the mat to dislodge the snow sticking to their bodies. Rabbit remained quiet as Frank called for specific people, ushering her into the living room and sitting her on a chair. Almost immediately she was surrounded by grave-faced shifters, all observing the object sealed around her wrist.
"It'll be okay, miss." one assured her while cleaning the puncture marks on her back from Ray's teeth. "We'll find a way to get it off."
Frank and the others conversed in hushed whispers on the other side of the room.
Her leader cast a regretful glance at his miserable companion, then looked back at the group. "Well, how do we remove it?"
The most knowledgeable of them shook his head sadly. "It's welded in place with a sunlight spell. Only faeries can put it into place, using the sun's energy they absorb during the day. The hex will repel any attempts to break the metal. If we try to melt it off we'd be destroying her hand with it."
Frank cursed, tapping his foot against the marble floor rapidly. "There has to be a way to reverse the charm."
None of the shifters knew of any anti-curse. They shook their heads in unison.
Rabbit watched with a sinking heart as the shifter adults all made signs of hopelessness. She curled sideways on the couch and lay her damp head on a pillow for comfort.
Frank's distressed face appeared in her vision. "I wish I could reverse the clock, stop Sasha and Ray before they got you."
She shrugged. "If it wasn't me, it would have been another. In a way I'm grateful it was me, at least none of you have had to face your parents about it."
His face darkened. "Just because you don't have shifter parents doesn't mean we don't care. Everyone is standing outside the door, waiting to hear about what's gonna happen to you!" he gripped her shoulder firmly. "So don't assume that no one cares."
Rabbit pushed his hand away and stood up. Without looking at the boy she had sworn to protect she turned on her heel and headed for the door. "But no one cared enough to look out for me, even though I waste my life protecting yours." she whispered, then slipped out the door.
In the hallway she was greeted by the eager faces of all her group. They pressed forward, expressions lit with hope. Even Fox seemed genuinely concerned. She stared at them blankly before pushing past them and heading for the exit.
"Rabbit! Wait, what's wrong?" Oliver cried, reaching out for her.
Her hand, encircled by the patterned band, pushed him back. "Forget it. You barely need me now, so why should I stick around for the future?"
Fox was the first of the stunned shifters to respond. "But we do need -"
"No." Rabbit cut in, opening the door and stepping halfway out into the swirling snow. "You don't, especially now that I'm practically human."
Frank heard the front door slam. He tugged back the curtains and saw a lone figure drift down the front steps and onto the road. The white flakes falling from the sky blurred her form until there was nothing left to see.

So yeah, hope you liked! R&R please :D or no more for you